‘God of War: Ascension’ Super Bowl Ad Looks Good, Needs Better Music

This trailer for God of War: Ascension, running during the Super Bowl, is probably the closest we’re going to get to an actual God of War movie. And, actually, it looks great. It’s just too bad they had to choose such a bland song to go with it.

Here’s the full, live-action trailer:

It’s a bit more artistic and moody than a game which has goat/man hybrid-stabbing and cracking an elephant-man’s skull open to play in his brains probably deserves, but it’s still a well-done trailer.

That said, we have to go on a little rant here, because who the hell picks this music?

It’s not a knock against Ellie Goulding, and actually, this remix of the song is a lot better than the actual single. And again, yes, it fits lyrically. To a point. But musically, it fits in about as well as Kratos at a pacifist rally.

Look, there’s literally millions of songs out there. Granted that God Of War‘s musical themes tend towards the bombastic and this ad is really anything but, but Gerard Marino, the series’ composer across the entire franchise, could probably have put something together.

God of suck is more like it. Sony using their games to push their lame music artists. Corporate synergy! See the Dead Island or HALO ads to see how it’s done. Recipe = haunting soundtrack + crazy slow mo action = cool. Not generic R&B autotune soundtrack + emasculated protagonist = lame.

I think it’s pretty obvious why they have been making music choices like this. Appeals more to grown-ups that don’t identify as gamers, which is what they want since they already have the gamers. It’s all about trying to shake the image of, say, a fat dude drinking Game Fuel jamming out to heavy rock and calling the game a “faggot” when he dies.

I’m not saying it’s right. I’m just saying that anyone that doesn’t already like God of War immediately tunes out when the trailer is just a badass killing people while [BLEEP] YOU I WONT DO WHAT YOU TELL ME plays in the background.

Sony’s press release is misleading Hanging On is not by Ellie Goulding . Ellie Goulding made an auto tuned cover of the original Hanging On by Active Child .Too bad they didn’t use Active Child’s mind blowing original track it’s EPIC